Removable thermal divider for a swimming pool

ABSTRACT

A REMOVABLE THERMAL DIVIDER FOR A SWIMMING POOL, WHICH SERVES TO REDUCE THE VOLUME OF WATER IN A SWIMMING POOL TO BE HEATED AT A GIVEN TIME WITHOUT REDUCING THE TOTAL VOLUME OF WATER IN THE POOL. THE DIVIDER IS A REMOVABLE WALL THAT SEPARATES ONE SECTION OF THE SWIMMING POOL FROM ANOTHER SECTION AND COMPRISES AN IMPREVIOUS WALL WITH A LOWER SECTION OF BALLAST, AN UPPER AIR FILLED FLOATING SECTION AND AN INTERMEDIATE SECTION WITH TUBING THAT DISCHARGES HEATED WATER INTO A DIVIDED SECTION OF THE POOL. THE WALL IS RIGIDIFIED BY THE FLOATING SECTION AND BY THE PRESSURE OF THE HEATED WATER IN THE TUBING OF THE INTERMEDIATE SECTION.

Nov. 23, 1971 D. A. M WILLIAMS 3,621,496

REMOVABLE THERMAL DIVIDER FOR A SWIMMING POOL Filed March 19, 1970 jh m. MM

A770R/VEY Unitfid tates atent 3,621,496 REMOVABLE THERMAL DIVIDER FOR A SWIMMING POOL Donald A. McWilliams, 1916 N. Gilbert, Fullerton, Calif. 92633 Filed Mar. 19, 1970, Ser. No. 20,998 Int. Cl. E0411 3/16, 3/18 US. Cl. 4-172 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A removable thermal divider for a swimming pool, which serves to reduce the volume of water in a swimming pool to be heated at a given time without reducing the total volume of water in the pool. The divider is a removable wall that separates one section of the swimming pool from another section and comprises an impervious wall with a lower section of ballast, an upper air filled floating section and an intermediate section with tubing that discharges heated water into a divided section of the pool. The wall is rigidified by the floating section and by the pressure of the heated water in the tubing of the intermediate section.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a removable thermal divider for swimming pools and more particularly to a removable thermal divider for the heating of swimming pools.

The heating of swimming pools is generally a long, expensive process. All the water in the pool must be ciroulated through the pool heater until the water in the pool reaches a desired temperature.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A removable thermal divider for a swimming pool comprising an impervious wall, a lower section of ballast, an upper floating section, and an intermediate section pressurized by heated water which discharges into a divided section of the pool.

The removable thermal divider of the present invention serves to reduce the volume of water in a swimming pool to be heated at a given time, thereby reducing the heating time required and the cost of pool maintenance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the removable divider of the present invention illustrated in operating position in a swimming pool.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the removable divider shown in FIG. 1 illustrated in operating position in a swimming pool.

FIG. 3 is an end elevation view of the removable divider shown in FIG. 1 illustrated in operating position in a swimming pool.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Illustrated in FIG. 1 is a suitable or conventional swimming pool P which is divided into two sections I and II by the removable divider 10 of the present invention. The divider 10 comprises an impervious flexible wall 11 made of suitable material, such as plastic. In the exemplary embodiment, the wall 11 is made of a flexible, waterproof material.

The Wall 11 includes a lower section 12 of ballast. The ballast may be any suitable weight, such as lead pellets, spherical glass, sand or the like. Fixed to the lower section 12 of ballast is an intermediate section ice 13. The intermediate section 13 of the wall 11 comprises a framework 14 of flexible tubing.

As shown in FIG. 2, the framework 1 4 may, as an example, comprise three upright tubes 14a, 14b and interconnected by a horizontal tube 14d. The upright tubes 14a and 146 extend along the opposite edges of the wall 11 and the upright tube 14b is disposed midway between the opposite edges of the wall 11. The horizontal tube 14d is disposed along the lower section 12 of ballast. Horizontally disposed tubes 14c, 14f and 14g communicate with the upright tubes 142-145 respec' tively. Formed in the tubes of the framework :14 are suitable outlet openings 15 for the discharge of heated water from the tubes 14a-14g into the divided section II of the pool P on the side to be heated.

Connected to the framework 14 is an outlet 16 for heated water circulating through a conventional heating system. The heated water discharged from the outlet 16 passes through the framework 14 for ejection through the openings 15. When the heated water passes through the framework 14, the tubes 14a-14g become rigid under the water pressure.

At the upper portion of the wall 11 is a floating section 20, which comprises an inflated tube 21. Air under ressure is contained in the tube 21 for inflating the tube 21 to provide both floatation and rigidity for the upper section 20 of the wall 1.1. A cold water return pipe C is disposed in the section of the pool, such as section II, for returning cold water tobe heated to the heating system.

In using the removable divider 11, the divider 11 is disposed traversely across the pool 11 to form an impervious wall for a divided section of the pool P, such as section II. The heated water outlet .16 for the section I of the pool P is diverted and connected to the framework 14. The cold water return C is in the section II of the pool P. Water is now circulated through the heating system by means of the cold water return C and by means of outlet 16 being connected to the framework 14 and heated water being discharged into the section II of the pool P through the openings 15 of the framework 14. As the water in section II reaches the desired temperature, the divider 10 may be moved to make section II of the pool P larger and to make section I of the pool P smaller. This procedure may be repeated until the entire pool P is heated to the desired temperature or the divider can be left in place to maintain a small heated section of the pool.

The divider 10 of the present invention is adapted to provide a removable transverse impervious wall for the pool P. This is accomplished by the floating upper section 20, which provides a floating transverse member above the water level W of the pool P. Rigidity for the wall 11 is provided by the tube 21 of the floating upper section 20 being inflated and under air pressure. Rigidity is also accomplished by the non-buoyant, non-weighted, rigid framework forming the intermediate section of the wall 1:1. The tubes 14a14g of the framework 14 not only discharge heated water into the divided section II of the pool P, but also provide rigidity to the wall 11 by the heated water advancing therethrough under pressure. Stability for the divider 10 is achieved by the lower section 12 of ballast disposed along the bottom of the pool P. Thus, the divider 10 effectively separates the pool into distinct thermally divided sections for the heating of the water in the swimming pool.

What is claimed is:

1. A removable divider for a swimming pool compris ing an impenvious sheet of material, a ballast disposed along the bottom portion of said sheet of material, floating means disposed along the upper portion of said sheet of material, and conduits with discharge openings on said sheet between said ballast and said floating means and spaced apart to support said sheet of material between the walls of said swimming pool.

2. A removable divider for a swimming pool comprising an impervious sheet of flexible material, a ballast disposed along the bottom portion of said sheet of material, floating means disposed along the upper portion of said sheet of material, and a conduit with discharge openings, said conduit beng mounted on said sheet between said ballast and said floating means and spaced apart to support said sheet of material between the walls of said swimming pool.

3. A removable divider as claimed in claim 1 in which said openings are disposed on the same side of said sheet.

4. A removable divider as claimed in claim 2 in which said openings are disposed on the same side of said sheet.

5. A removable divider as claimed in claim 3 wherein said conduit includes means for receiving heated water, said conduit discharging the heated water through said openings.

6. A removable divider as claimed in claim 4 wherein said conduit includes means for receiving heated water,

said conduit discharging the heated water through said openings.

7. A removable divider as claimed in claim 6 wherein said conduit is flexible tubing and is rigidified by the advancement of heated water therethrough.

8. A removable divider as claimed in claim 6 wherein said floating means is a flexible tubing rigidified by air under pressure contained therein.

9. A removable divider as claimed in claim 7 wherein said floating means is flexible tubing rigidified by air under pressure contained therein.

10. A removable divider as claimed in claim 9 wherein said sheet is made of plastic material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,460,166 8/1969 Weber 4-172 2,928,103 3/1960 Turner 4'172.13 2,970,320 2/1961 Karp -4l72.13 3,072,920 1/1963 Yelloff 4-172.12 3,488,782 1/1970 Billig 4172 HERBERT F. ROSS, Primary Examiner H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner 

